{"id":38110,"date":"2026-01-21T12:01:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T17:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/?p=38110"},"modified":"2026-01-21T13:06:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T18:06:03","slug":"the-american-express-predictions-picks-and-dfs-lineup-january-22-25","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/golf\/the-american-express-predictions-picks-and-dfs-lineup-january-22-25\/","title":{"rendered":"The American Express Predictions, Picks and DFS Lineup January 22-25"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The American Express Betting Preview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

WagerTalk golf handicapper Andy Lang<\/a> offers his thoughts on The American Express<\/strong> teeing off from La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, CA<\/strong><\/strong>. Andy discusses his predictions, picks, who can trip you up, the course and more surrounding The American Express starting January 22!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay on top of the latest Golf<\/a> updates direct from Las Vegas!<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WagerTalk also offers Free Picks<\/a> all year long!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The American Express<\/th>The American Express Betting Notes<\/th><\/tr>
When:<\/td>January 22-25<\/td><\/tr>
Where:<\/td>La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, CA<\/td><\/tr>
Defending Champ:<\/td>Sepp Straka<\/td><\/tr>
Current Favorite:<\/td>Scottie Scheffler (+290 at DraftKings<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
TV:<\/td>ESPN+ and Golf Channel<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Express Course: La Quinta Country Club<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 American Express <\/strong>is once again played across three courses  in the Coachella Valley: PGA West Stadium Course<\/strong>, PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course<\/strong>, and La Quinta Country Club<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The  Stadium Course is the toughest of the trio, featuring water hazards, deep  bunkers, and demanding approach shots, while the Nicklaus Tournament  Course offers wider fairways and more scoring opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

La Quinta Country Club is the shortest and most straightforward setup, often  producing the lowest scores of the week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weather conditions look ideal<\/strong>, with no rain and little to no wind<\/strong>, setting the stage for aggressive play and low scoring across all three venues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With calm conditions and receptive desert layouts, players will  be able to attack pins and take advantage of the par-5s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The field is surprisingly strong<\/strong>, highlighted by stars like Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Ludvig \u00c5berg, and Matt Fitzpatrick<\/strong>, which should elevate both the competition and the winning score. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expect a birdie fest, where anything worse than 25-under par <\/strong>may not be enough to lift the trophy  on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Express: Players That Can Trip You Up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scottie Scheffler <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t think this sets up well for him, for the same reasons he struggles at The Ryder Cup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His result at a normal tournament is about 4 rounds at the same tournament in the same conditions, the difference of The Ryder Cup disrupts his routine, and at this tournament they go to different courses so he can\u2019t settle in at playing the same holes 4 times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s finished 17th, 11th, 25th, MC the  last 4 years here, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a coincidence. I won\u2019t bet on him in  these \u201cnon-normal\u201d tournaments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrick Cantlay <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He’s one of the big names near the top of the board, but  the underlying profile doesn\u2019t justify the price. Among the elite favorites, he\u2019s the weakest putter, and his off-the-tee play over the last six months has been underwhelming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While he finished 5th here last year, his broader course history is much shakier with finishes of 52nd  and 26th the two years prior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re paying for reputation and a single  strong result, not consistent course fit or current strengths. That makes Cantlay a fade for us this week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Si Woo Kim <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has struggled to find success at this event, finishing 22nd or worse in each of the last three years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His putting has been a major liability, losing -0.34 strokes gained over the last 12 months<\/strong>, and that\u2019s a serious problem this week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this tournament shaping up as a  putting contest, cold putters are at a clear disadvantage. Given the course history and the flat-stick issues, Si Woo is an easy fade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Express: DraftKings Darlings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lee Hodges ($6,700) <\/strong>quietly put together a strong week with a 6th-place  finish, and the underlying stats back it up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He putted lights out, ranked  20th in greens in regulation,and was #1 in both sand saves and  scrambling<\/strong>, showing elite short-game performance. He finished 34th here last year, which is solid enough to remove any course-fit concerns.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this price, Hodges brings recent form, confidence, and upside\u2014 making him a strong DFS value play again this week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kevin Roy ($7,100) <\/strong>continues to check all the right boxes for DFS  value. He\u2019s coming off a 13th-place finish where he ranked 5th in putting and 7th around the green, showing excellent touch where it  matters most. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His driving accuracy isn\u2019t elite, but that shouldn\u2019t be a major issue on this layout. Add in an 18th-place finish here last year, and Roy once again profiles as a high-floor, high-value option this week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Parry ($7,100) <\/strong>came through for us last week with a strong 19th place finish, so we\u2019re going right back to him. He ranked 8th in putting, 5th in greens in regulation, and 14th in driving accuracy\u2014exactly the kind of balanced profile you want at this price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those numbers show a player giving himself chances and converting them. Add in his solid  recent form on the DP World Tour, and the confidence is clearly there. He\u2019s a dependable value play again this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rest Of Lineup<\/strong>: Robert MacIntyre $9400, Matthew Fitzpatrick $9500, Ben Griffin $10,200<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Favorite Top Finish: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top 20 Ben Griffin -115<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outright: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ludvig Aberg +2200<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"2026